Secure the city: Italy's mission for funeral

Page Tools

Rome: Air force jets are ready to scramble. Police are burrowing
through the labyrinth of drains and aqueducts under the city
looking for bombs. Snipers are staked out on strategic
rooftops.

The Italians are used to conducting anti-terrorist operations,
including during the 2003 NATO summit and US presidential visits.
Then they had months to prepare; this time they had just days to
get ready for Pope John Paul's funeral tomorrow.

In addition to millions of pilgrims, dozens of monarchs,
presidents and prime ministers will be in Rome, offering a tempting
target for any terrorist group hoping to score a spectacular
strike.

Authorities insist they have taken all possible measures to
prevent such an attack.

Precautions have been taken at airports and stations, as well as
other places people gather, said an official of the Rome prefect's
office, which is responsible for co-ordinating the security
effort.

A ban on air traffic over central Rome is also expected. The
military-civilian airport of Ciampino is likely to be closed to
commercial flights, and traffic to and from the main airport at
Fiumicino, 26 kilometres from Rome, curtailed, the official
said.

Radar is scanning the air for any irregular activity, ready to
alert pilots on standby. Helicopters have begun regular
patrols.

The 10,000 police normally deployed in Rome will be reinforced
with an additional 6500 officers from around Italy, the Interior
Ministry said.

About 5000 of them will be deployed around the Vatican and the
city of Rome, with the rest helping to provide escorts to the
official delegations.